Teenage Bentley joyrider locked up
1:55pm Friday 20th June 2008
A teenage girl who stole a £70,000 Bentley and was driving it when it crashed into a tree and flipped on to its roof has been locked up.
The 17-year-old from Holbury, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was part of a gang of three who stole the luxury car from a house in the New Forest.
Southampton Youth Court heard the teenager and another 17-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy, had been drinking before they came across the Bentley Continental in a driveway in Parsonage Barn Lane, Ringwood.
Watch a video of the aftermath of the crash
The defendant stole the car keys from the house. The gang also pinched a wallet, mobile phone and laptop.
She then took the car on a high speed driver through the Forest, the court heard.
Technology fitted in the vehicle enabled police to track it, which resulted in a high-speed chase involving three police cars in the early hours of April 15.
The pursuit only came to an end when the joy rider lost control of the powerful car on a bend on the A35 at Holmsley Hill ploughing into a tree.
The force of the impact broke the tree in half and caused the vehicle to land on its roof, and the pursuing police car then hit the tree lying in the road, injuring the driver and a female police officer.
Despite their injuries the officers raced to the Bentley to pull the youths from the wreckage.
The second police car smashed into the back of the first and the third careered off the road.
Damage to the police cars topped £30,000.
The 17-year-old driver pleaded guilty to taking a vehicle without consent and dangerous driving, burglary and driving without a licence or insurance.
She was handed a six-month detention and training order.
See a gallery of the damaged vehicles
The other 17-year-old girl from Bransgore was earlier sentenced to a four-month detention and training order after she pleaded guilty to burglary and aggravated vehicle taking.
A 16-year-old boy from New Milton pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods, allowing himself to be carried in a vehicle that was taken without consent, and driving without a licence or insurance.
He was sentenced to a 12-month supervision order and a three-month curfew.